


the red string and the fate of us

by skambane



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M, Red String of Fate, Romance, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-04-20 20:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14268573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skambane/pseuds/skambane
Summary: Gert hated that damn red string tied around her little finger. It wasn’t physically there but she could see it, in all the time reminder that she belongs to someone.Chase loved that damn red string tied around his little finger. And he loved for the same reason she hated: he loves the ideia that he belongs to someone._______________or a universe where an invisible red string connects you to the one you are destined to be with. the string may stretch or tangle but it will never break.kind of a college au and there's no tv show/comic powers or evil parentes situation happening here.





	1. the one she dies

Gert hated that damn red string tied around her little finger. It wasn’t physically there but she could see it, in all the time reminder that she belongs to someone. She hated the fact that the first thing someone asks another is if they have a string or if they already found the other end. She is nineteen for fucking sake, she can barely handle her college projects imagine a soulmate. And also, she hated that the most important thing about you it has to be another person. That’s a thing Gert always wanted: to be important and feel that she’s important because of things that come from herself.

 

And the fact that you could potentially have someone on the other end of the string didn’t meant anything. It wasn’t like she could only be with that guy or girl connected to her, Gert had dated a few times already and didn’t felt like she was missing something for no being with the one she “belongs” to. She even knows people that are married and completely happy, without even connecting their strings. 

 

When she was young there were times that she would feel the string more than others, mostly on the hardest days like the ones she would come home crying because of some bullying or the nights she couldn’t get herself to sleep because of anxiety. On those days, she almost liked the thing, because somehow it always calmed her down, like if there was a soothing hand holding hers. But that was when she was a innocent and naive kid, she doesn’t feel like that anymore... yeah she totally doesn’t go bed starting at her string until she can manage to put herself to sleep.

 

Gert has never been someone to keep her mind on this things about the string, but her best friend had just meet hers, so that was the only subject she could talk about.

 

“You won’t believe how sweet she was. I was kind of scared because well, she was dressed in black from head to toe but turns out she is sooo kind.” Karolina talks while they walk through the campus.

 

“Oh I believe it was magical.” She says sarcastic. 

 

“Don’t say It like that. It was kind of magical, I dated before but it was nothing like that, it felt like we were connected in a whole new level.And when we kissed... Oh my, i know it sounds cliche but it was firework everywhere, it was like if I could fly” She says.

 

“You know I don’t believe on this kind of stuff. Those things of how magic and amazing It is to find the one on the other end it’s only a social construction. Things that you’ve heard your whole life that you were supposed to feel when you meet this stranger and just because it is already institutionalized in you, now you think you feel it.” Says Gert.

 

Karolina laughs. “Ah cut It off Gert, I know that deep down you are a romantic.” 

 

“What? I don’t know where you get that from. Both of my relationships ended because I was to cold remember? Jenny said it was like i couldn't connect with her and Cody hated that I couldn't find interesting his boring talk about physics” Says Gert, like if that defended herself.

 

“And that it’s only because you wasn’t really connected with them. Because they were not your other half, your soulmate, the end of your string.” Gert snorted at the words.

 

She hates all this conceptions that she is half something. She is not half anything, she a full human being that didn’t need to be filled with another person. And soulmate? What’s that even supposed to mean? That her soul It self was attached to someone else, like if not only her little finger but everything that sums who she is belongs to someone else? 

 

She rather belong to herself.

 

“Okay, now you are delusional buddy.” She says to her friend while they enter  in one of the coffeeshops on the campus. 

 

“Come on if I can’t share with my best friend how happy i’m, than with who I will share?” Says Karolina while Gert order their coffees. Tea for Gert though, there’s no need to give her anxiety more stage drinking coffee.

 

She let’s out a sigh, they ware waiting for their order now. “Okay, you won me blonde, tell me everything about this Nico girl.” 

 

Karolina almost jumps up and down in happiness. “Well, the first thing impressive was that she showed up earlier and you know how much I love those kind of things and how I hate late people, and to be kept waiting. And than she took me to this beautiful restaurant downtown kind of a mixture of nature and modern art and it was just beautiful and the food was amazing too, you would had loved the place.“

 

"And what happened next? Because you didn't came home last night lady." Gert asks now that they are walking out of the coffeeshop. 

 

 Karolina then turns as red as a tomato and laughs with her friend. "I've never done anything quite like that before, never had sex on the first date but it felt so right and natural all the time, like if it was supposed to happen. I didn't even questioned myself before going up to her apartment when I notice I was already inside her place and my shirt was on the floor."

 

“I don’t believe in those things but i’m genuinely happy for you. I’m glad you found someone that makes you happy and for her well being she better treat you like the rare ray of sunshine that you are, or she’ll have to deal with me.” Gert says making her friend laughs more.

 

Gert has never been one to expose her feelings to much and even though Karolina knows she is loved by her friend, it still makes her happy whenever Gert express that. “I love you too, my purple cupcake.” She says pulling Gert into a forced hug.

 

Gert laughs while hug her back. “Okay, I already paid you coffee and gave you a hug, now go to your next class cause i’ve to go home. Promise to FaceTime with Molly so she can show me her dress to the dance. ” 

 

“Okay, but send me a text when you get home and don’t forget to water my plants.” She says already walking away from Gert that just nods.

 

Nothing in that day could had made Gert think that something like that could happened.The thing is, what happened next no one could have predicted. You wake and you go about your day already making plans for the day after or the next week because, no one wake up in the morning thinking that it will be their last day on earth. But in that day, without ever thinking about it, Gert died.

 

She was crossing the street. The traffic lights were red. She turned around to give one last wave of goodbye to her friend when bum, blackout and that was it. No flashback of her best moments on earth or a light at the end of a tunnel.

 

Only blackness and then she was dead.

 

 


	2. the one she's alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiiiii guys im back with another chapter http://skambane.tumblr.com

Chase loved that damn read string tied around his little finger. And he loved for the same reason she hated: he loves the ideia that he belongs to someone. 

 

Sometimes the string would pull a little, like if the person was close to him but others, it would be so quite that it almost looked like there wasn’t anyone there. That was a thing that scared Chase a little more than he would admit out loud, how could he be sure that there is someone on the other end? What if he doesn’t have someone to belong to? 

 

No one really knows those answers, there isn’t much knowledge about the read strings. The only things people know are that they’ve always existed, some people are born with them and others get them after a copule of years of life. And also that there is the sad stories about the ones that are born without a string or lose them through the years, that’s the case of his best friend, Alex. He was a lucky one, found his soulmate when they were kids but them the lucky turned into a bad one when she died in a car accident being only sixteen. 

 

Chase sometimes wonder how Alex’s string looks like now, if completely disappeared or if it just lost the color. But he would never ask his friend, Alex cried for an entire year and still cries sometimes up until today - even though he does it in secret, Chase knows he still cries.

 

He knows that not everyone really gets together with their string buddy, but he can stop himself from dreaming about the day the string in his finger will pull so hard that the girl it will be right next to him. Chase can even begin to imagine him on Alex’s place. The read string has been on his finger since he can put himself to remember, and on the hard times when his father would hurt him - both physically and emotional - he would put himself to bed and stare at the cord, shining it's read until he would fall at sleep like if he was hearing the voice of a angel, singing to him the most beautiful lullaby. 

 

Now, he was sitting at the library from university trying to concentrate, but his friend Nico couldn’t shut about her first date with her just discovered other half of the string.

 

“You can believe how amazing it was, she is so beautiful that almost glows and she is also so sweet.” Chase was trying to do his work but he loved to hear this kind stories, it gave him hope that one day he would be the one telling one.

 

“How is your string now? It changed color?” He asks but Nico says no. “It still read but it’s so much more vibrant now, it’s like if shows how i’m feeling inside.” 

 

He smile at her happiness. “I’m glad that you found your string buddy. I wish...” he was about to say that he wished to be in her place when he felt his own string pulling and than turning grey.

 

“Chase, what happened? You are having a stroke or something?” She asks because he couldn’t put himself to say or do anything except to stare at the string.

 

Tears forming in his eyes as he speaks. “it’s grey Nico, my string just turned grey.” 

 

“What, what do you mean by grey?” 

 

“I don’t know, what does it mean? Did she died?” He asks already starting to get nervos and scared, he could’t lose her before he could actually have her. That’s unfair.

 

“No, I mean, I don’t know. Alex once told me that his string turned grey and than disappeared when Amy...” She doesn’t finish her sentence because it still hurts to talk about her sister, as much as it does for Alex, and Chase himself. “Yours disappeared?”

 

“No, it...” he was about to say that it was still there when the string turned red again. “It’s red again” He says confused.

 

“Okay, what kind of drugs are you using? I thought you were better than that.” She jokes but he doesn’t laugh still staring at his hand. “Oh you are not joking right? That some crazy shit! Let’s go find Alex, he knows more about this stuff than all of us.” She says.

 

Alex kind of turned obsessed with red string theories after Amy. He wanted answers that could make him last lonely than the one he already had: that she was gone forever. 

 

“Wait, what?” Alex asks after - in his dorm room - they explained to him what happened to Chase’s string. “It turned grey them went back to red?”

 

“Yeah, do you want was to drawn for you?” Says Nico a little sarcastic, she has never been someone with lots of patience.

 

“We were wondering if you know what it means” _Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes_ \- that was the only thing Chase could think of because he was too scared to anything else.

 

“Well, other than the love of your life it’s a fucking zombie now? I don’t know.” Chase’s sad face was too hard to hide or ignore it, Alex knew how important the red string was for him. “Wait, I think I have something about that...” He searched for a book between the many others he have. “Here, grey turning to read again can sometimes mean that your soulmate either is in coma or was revived after almost dying, like a cpr kind of scenario or something like.” He finished reading a piece of the book.

 

“That’s some good news Chase. It means she still out there.” Says Nico trying to cheer him up, but it didn’t worked. The smile he putted on his face was clearly fake.

 

After that he excused himself from his friend and went to his apartment close to the university. Of course he was happy she was still alive, but the ideia that she could be hurt somewhere was driving him insane. What was the point of this damn string if he could’t protect her or be there for her? 

 

That was the first time he hatted the string.

 

He turned the tv on and in the news they were talking about some accident in front a university - oh wait his university. “Today after leaving a class, a student was hit by a drunk driver. Gertrude Yorkes, philosophy and psychology student, almost died but was revived by the paramedics. She still at the hospital, but it is out of danger now.” 

 

It was to much coincidence. The name kept echoing in his mind. _Gertrude Yorkes_. Could she be her? Could she be on the other end of his string? Well there’s only one way to find out... 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys i hope you enjoyed  
> don't forget to leave comments and kudos
> 
> and i see you guys in the next chapter
> 
> tumblr http://skambane.tumblr.com


	3. the one with flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiiiii guys im back with another chapter http://skambane.tumblr.com

And suddenly she is back to life. 

There was a minute of silence followed by some muffled sounds, it was like she was under water. She could feel her chest coming up and down faster and faster, her lungs were burning and she couldn't breathe. she heard a voice in the background that said "stay with us Gert" and she was trying but it was hurting so much and it would be so much easier to just stop. her eyes opened slightly but her vision was blurred and the lights hurt. the feeling was that she had just been taken out of the water after years of submergence and now she would have to learn how to breathe. she could feel herself moving and saw a white figure moving quickly, shaking some strong light in her eyes. Gert could hear a low cry in the midst of all the clutter of noises - cars, traffic, horns, sirens - and she could also feel a cold but familiar hand clutching her. 

Her whole body began to ache as if it had been shattered to pieces, as if she had fallen from a plane straight into the ground, as if she had been run over by a car. She tried to find out who the crying belonged to and the agony in her chest was gigantic because she could no longer keep her eyes open and her chest was starting to get tired. Then an unknown voice said "she's not holding on, we need to go faster, we need to arrive in the hospi..." 

Gert didn't listened the rest of the phrase because she was out again.

When she woke up again it was like coming out of a nightmare, she sat up in bed quickly with her breath racing because she was scared but soon she was hit by pain all over her body that made her lie down again. Her eyes took time to get used to the bright lights but were no longer blurred nor her hearing was muffled. Turns out dying is easy, is the part of coming back to life that hurts.

 

She felt a familiar hand catching hers and as she calmed herself down, so her eyes met those of her mother. “Oh baby, it's okay! You are okay now.”  

 

“My body hurt and i’m thirst.” She complains feeling her throat dry. “Molly went to get you some water.”

 

“What happened Stacey?” She asks a little confused.

 

Her mother sighed. “A drunk man. He lost the control of the car and accelerated on you.”

 

Her sister then, Molly, enters the room running to hug Gert as soon as she notice the girl was awake. “Tried playing bowling without me sis?” 

 

Gert laughed. “Well, you don’t come visit me anymore.” As an answer, Molly hugged her strongly. “Okay kiddo, i’m better now but if you keep kneading me like that my organs will explode.” She jokes.

 

“Okay Molly, let’s not kill your sister after she just came back to life.” Dale jokes too but then it turned real for Gert again, that feeling of being out of breath. But she tries do ignore it, changing the subject.

 

“Where’s Karo, she was with me at the ambulance, wasn’t she?” Gert asks.

 

“She’s outside. We will go  talk with some doctors and find Molly something to eat, want us to ask her in?” She only nodded and then they were out of the room.

 

And for the split second she was alone, she looked down only to find her string still at her finger and couldn’t stop herself from wondering if something happened to the string when she died, wondering if he noticed.... And suddenly she knew it was a “he”. It had never been news to anyone Gert’s bissexuality, and she never found her self knowing how to pronome the person on the other end of the string and never felt the need to. But somehow now she knew it was a “he” just as strongly as she knows her own name.

 

“Hey...” Karo picks a head on the door before getting into the room. “How you are feeling?” She asks while getting a chair to sit next to Gert’s bed.

 

“All my body hurts but I think I will be just fine...” Karolina nods without knowing what to do or say. 

 

“They already told you what happened with you?” Karo asks and Gert just denies. “Your body got in shock with the impact.... You died Gert! You were gone for almost three minutes.” Her voice shakes and she tries to controle her voice.

 

Gert breaths out feeling her anxiety waiting to start a show. How crazy it could be to think that you were dead and now you are not. “Are you okay?” Karo asks.

 

“I don’t remember much, I was crossing the street and them bum, I was out. And the next thing I remember I was in the ambulance I guess...” She says. “When I woke up a little in the way to the hospital it felt like I was just learning how to breath.” 

 

“Well, you kind of was born again today, so I think it’s a pretty accurate explanation to what happened to you.” Says Karo. 

 

“Yeah, I guess... do you know how long i’m gonna have to stay here?” Gert asks, already wanting to leave the way too white walls of the hospital.

 

“I’ve heard the doctor saying that they would want to keep an eye on you to see if those three minutos made any damage on your stubborn brain.” She says cracking a joke, Gert laughs but it hurts. “Hey, go slow.... Maybe more two days.”

 

“Dammit, I hate hospi...” Before Gert could finish her sentence a nurse got into the room holding a vase of flowers. She said a guy left them at the door for her. As soon as the nurse was out of the room, Karo ran to the flowers, trying to find a car.

 

“There’s a card? Who would bring me flowers and not come to see me?” She asks while Karolina searches.

 

“I don’t know, a friend.” She says finding the card.

 

“I don’t have friends, you are the only person I tolerate.” She jokes.

 

“Here.” Karolina gives the card to Gert’s who tries her best to sit without feeling too much pain.

 

As soon as the card reaches her hand it’s like if she was holding gold, the most perfect thing on the world. She even felt like a tingling at the tip of her fingers. For a second Gert thought she was going crazy but than she imagine that it was probably just from the medicines. 

 

The card said: _“you scared me today, at least I hope that you are you. Be well soon. - C”_

 

“C.” She says out loud.

 

“Who is C?” Karo wonders and Gert says that she doesn’t know anyone that could fit in the letter. “Well, whoever it is, it has a good taste in flowers and somehow knows that purple asters are your favorites.”

 

 

________________

 

He really wanted to give the flowers in person but when he got to the receptionist table, the fear shouted lauder. What if she wasn’t who he thinks she is? How disappointed and stupid he would feel walking into the room only to feel nothing. Only to find a girl that has nothing to do with him. So he just sent the flowers with a card that say way to much. if she wasn’t his other end then at least he would had made a injured girl happy with some flowers.

 

Now it's late on the afternoon and he’s sitting at a coffeeshop with both of his best friends.

 

“So you think the girl that was hit is your red string mate?” Alex asks.

 

“I don’t want to sound ridiculous but it is to much coincidence right? I mean, she died and was revived pretty much at the same time my string turned grey and than came back to red.” He explains

 

“But you know that there’s a lot of people out there that gets in accidents everyday, and most os the red string people don’t find themselves going to the same university.” Says Alex while drinking his coffee.

 

“Yeah, I know... i’m probably wrong.” 

 

Before he could say anything, a girl joined them at the table, giving a peck on Nico’s lips before being introduced to the boys. Chase could’t stop himself from thinking of how sunshine Karolina looked in parallel to the darkness of Nico. They really complement each other.

 

“What it took you so long? I was worried.” Nico asks. 

 

Karolina let’s out a sigh. “Sorry, have you guys heard of the the accident of the drunk men that hit a girl? It was my best friend.”

 

They all shared a knowing look around the table and suddenly Chase’s heart was jumping up and down inside his chest. He wanted to ask so many things...

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry Karo.” Nico said.

 

And before he could stop himself, words were coming out of him mouth. “And how is she? Is she really out of danger? Is she okay?”

 

He would had kept himself talking if it wasn’t for Alex kicking him under the table.

 

A little out-stroke by all the questions, Karolina said. “She has a couple of broken ribs, a broken leg and a couple of bruises but she will be fine. I was just at the hospital with her and she was already cracking jokes, saying that the purple bruises would match her purple hair.” They all laughed lightly.

 

Chase really wanted to ask, he really wanted to know if she had received the flower but how could he do that without giving that card a name? He stared at his best friends eyes, hoping he would use his brilliant brain to understand what Chase wanted. And he actually did. “All the university is pretty moved about what happened. I bet she’s been receiving a lot of love.” Alex says 

 

“Actually she received some flowers from a mysterious guy before a left, and somehow he manage to figure it out her favorite color and flower.” Says Karolina. “Purple and aster.” 

 

Chase felt like that was an answer, right? a sign maybe. He had never know anything about any flower but when he walked around the floriculture that afternoon, he went straight for the flowers that now he knows are called aster. It was like if he was attached to the flowers somehow, and after his eyes meet the purple plant, he knew it had to be that one.

 

“Uhm, guys if you excuse me, It was a long day and a feel like going home now. Try to sleep earlier today.” He says already getting up, throwing a few dollars at the table.

 

He walked home slowly, trying to enjoy the little chill wind California have at night and when he noticie he was standing in front at hospital. Chase decided to face it as a sign so he walked straight into the receptionist. 

 

“Oh hi, look at you again.” The girl behind the desk remembers him. “Came with more flowers?” She asks giving him all the kinds of smiles.

 

He smiles, nervous. “No, hm... I was actually wondering if I could visit a patient. Gertrude Yorkes.” Chase feels a chill when her name comes out of his mouth. God, he really hopped that he wasn’t imagining all of this.

 

“Are you her relative?” The girl asks and he denies. “Sorry, only relative can visit her now. But you can come tomorrow at ten or at four, that’s the visiting hours.” She says and Chase feels a little down.

 

“Okay then, thank you.” He was about to leave when the girl talked to him. “Is she your girlfriend?”

 

“What?” Chase turns around to look at her.

 

“Is she your girlfriend? You brought her flowers and now came wanting to visit without being the visiting hours.” She says. 

 

“No, she’s not.” He says, felling a little weird. 

 

“Good, than maybe we could grab a coffee sometime?” 

 

Chase smiles, kindly. “She’s not my girlfriend but...” He hesitates but then the words were out of his mouth and it feel so right. “She’s the other end of my red string.”

 

The girl’s eyes widen and she blinked a couple of times. “Oh, I’m sorry.” 

 

He looks at her confused. “Sorry? For what?”

 

“I mean, you are a 10 and she’s at most a 7,5” She says and Chase feels so angry, he had always hated those kind os grades. And to be honest, of course he knows he looks good cause he’s not idiot but if he had to grade himself for all that he is, he wouldn’t give himself more than a 6. 

 

“Well, thank you for the informations.” He says with an angry smile before heading home.

 

He stepped into the darkness of his apartment already taking off his shoes, leaving them near the door. It's not a big apartment, but it also can not be called simple since it has all the technology that your money could afford and well, Chase Stein always had a lot of money. He walked into the kitchen before heading to his room where he picked up a bottle of water from the fridge. He left the water on the nightstand and was soon taken his shirt off which he left on an armchair in the corner of the room. Chase lay down and obviously the negative thoughts began to take his mind. She studied philosophy and psychology clearly a very smart person, he knows that he has a great deal of facility for physics and it's sciences but could never be said to be sympathetic to any philosophies or anything related to the sciences of the human being. What if they had nothing in common? What would they even talk about? And worse, what if she found him an idiot or dumb? Who guarantees that you will really fall in love with the person to whom you belong?

Chase thought about how nothing has ever been special about him, how he never tried to stand out in anything as he grew up hearing he was a failure and would always be. Who can guarantee that she will be able to fall in love with him?

Then a smile crossed his face as he remembered the words that left his mouth when he was still in the hospital. _“She’s the other end of my red string.”_ He repeated for the air and the smile went bigger, one of the ones that shows his dimples. And while staring at the string in his finger he felt happy - and afraid -  for knowing exactly where the other end is.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys i hope you enjoyed  
> don't forget to leave comments and kudos
> 
> and i see you guys in the next chapter
> 
> tumblr http://skambane.tumblr.com


	4. the one with a bump

 

It has been three days since Gert left the hospital. She still has a broken leg covered in a boot and sore ribs, and a couple of bruise but she’s definitely happy for being at her home. Her parents tried to convince her to go home with them until she was completely fine but she just wanted to be at her own place, to sleep at her own bed.

 

She hadn’t went back to her classes yet, but she was dying to. Karolina tried to skip a couple of her own classes to be at home with Gert, but she couldn’t be there all the time, so Molly stayed behind to help her sister for a couple of days. 

 

“What are you doing?” Asks Molly at the bathroom door, where Gert was trying to hide the only bruise on her face with makeup.

 

“Covering my bruise, I can’t handle to watch it anymore.” Says Gert and Molly sighs. “What now?”

 

“I’m bored.” She says like a little kid.

 

“Sorry if looking at my 50 shades of purple body is not the vacation you imagined.” She says sarcastic, finishing the makeup.

 

“You are not dying, we could go outside.” Says Molly just as the doorbell rang.

 

“Can you answer, please?” Says Gert.

 

“Everything is me huh?” She complains while walking to the door. And Gert goes sit on the couch. “What it is?” She screams as hear the door being shut.

 

“Flowers, to you.” She says walking back into the leaving room. She sat the flowers on the center table and reached the card to Gert, sitting by her side.

 

“I’m glad that you are better. Heard I got it right the other time. purple and asters. - C” Gert reads out loud and can’t stop herself from smiling, looking at the flowers. What was this feeling at the pit of her stomach? 

 

“Who is C and why you are smiling like that? It’s kind of scaring me.” Jokes Molly.

 

“I don’t know who this person is, but he sent me flowers when I were at the hospital too.” She explains. “And I’m not smiling.” 

 

“You are soooo smiling right now.” Molly keeps mocking.

 

“Okay, shut up! Go grab a jacket for me and you, I will text Karolina so we can go have dinner with her. “ She says trying to change the subject.

 

“Oh my God! Finally we are leaving this apartment.” Molly goes running to the bedroom, as happier as she could be. 

 

Gert laughs watching her sister and than her eyes meet the flowers again. And the smile doesn’t leave her mouth.

 

______________________

 

Chase is not a stalker, he got Gert’s and Karolina’s address with Nico. And he wanted to do more than send flowers and some lame cards but he was scare. What if she didn’t like him? There isn’t much to like on him anyway, if he had to say.

 

He was sitting at a restaurant, having dinner with Alex when they noticed a commotion around the door. He thought is was someone famous, it’s happens a lot in LA. “Who is?” Alex asked.

 

“I don’t know, probably an actor or something.” Says Chase eating his food, but than his finger pulled. And pulled more. 

 

“It’s your girl… I mean Gert Yorkes.” Says Alex, nudging Chase with his elbow.

 

Chase turned around and there she was, purple hair, broken leg and all. Some people that he recognized from around the college campus were around her, saying things like how happy they are knowing that she is okay. She looked uncomfortable with all the attention. 

 

His heart was trying to jump out of his body and his hand stared to sweat. He turned back to his food, trying to calm himself down but he couldn’t. He was wondering if the invisible cord around her finger was getting tighter like his was.

 

And it was, she was most definitely feeling how the string was acting different every since she stepped at the restaurant but there were so many people around her that she couldn’t find herself to pay attention. When Molly and her finally got themselves to sit at table in peace, her heart started to race and she didn’t knew if it was because of the string or her social anxiety after all that attention.

 

“Gosh, you are famous now Gert.” Said Molly.

 

“Yeah, I’m very happy about it.” She said sarcastic, starting to look at the menu and trying to calm her down. “Where is Karo huh? And what you will want?” She says looking everywhere, nervous.

 

“Hey Gert...” She holds her sister hand, making Gert look at her. “Just breath, you are okay.” She says calmly.

 

“What’s happening?” Karolina asks, already sitting with them. 

 

“Gert is having an anxiety attack, because everyone wanted to talk with her." Molly explains.

 

Gert denies, shaking her hand. “My string, it’s acting weird.” 

 

“What?” Karolina asks confused.

 

“It’s not my anxiety, well, not only her. My string it’s kind of vibrating and my heart feel likes it’s gonna come out of my mouth.” She describes while taking the water the waitress just left for them. 

 

“Gert, my love, I’m gonna need you to be calm okay?” Says Karolina. “I know you don’t care about this kind of stuff but... I think your soulmate it’s a the restaurant. And the pain you are feeling now will only go away if you find him or if you leave.”

 

Gert eyes wondered around, looking at everyone and her mind felt like it was spinning so much that she was getting dizzy, like if she had drunk a whole bottle of energy drink and than wine after. So confusing.

 

“I got to get out of here.” She says, abruptly getting up. 

 

__________________

 

If he had any doubt that she was the one at the end of his string, it was all gone now. He always wanted to find her and every book and movie said how amazing it would be this moment, but no one warned him that it would feel like that, like if he was about to have a heart attack or something. 

 

“Alex, man, what’s happening?” He says placing his hand over his chest to feel his heart. “Will I die?”

 

“Oh man she is really your soulmate huh?” Alex asks. “I need you to calm down. I know it kind of hurts, I remember the pain. It’s because she is next to you and haven’t met yet. It’s like if your heart is literally aching to meet her.” He explains while getting up. “Come on.”

 

“What? Where?” Chase asks while Alex pulls him by the hand.

 

“We are going to meet your soulmate.” He says full of calm which only left Chase more desperate.

 

Chase started to say “no” while Alex was pulling him over, and even though he’s a skinny guy he can be pretty strong. In this confusion of trying to get rid of his best friend grip he lost control of himself and bumped someone, he was knocked to the ground. 

 

When his eyes went up it was like if all the cliches in the universe were happing to him, like if he was staring at an angel’s eyes. And suddenly the pain in his chest was over.

 

Gert didn’t understood pretty well what happened but suddenly she bumped in someone and he was on the ground. After she managed to balance herself back into her good feet and the broken one, she turned around to try help the guy and just like that she wasn’t dizzy anymore.

 

“Uh, sorry.” She says extending her hand to help him to get up, he does the same with his opposite hand and her string had never been so short. When his hand touched hers were almost like if the string had disappeared from how tiny it was. And she was wondering if he could see that too.

 

He stood up in his feet again but neither of them lost the others hand. Both keep staring at their hands kind of without reaction but than Chase smiled so big that his dimples showed up, Gert’s eyes left their hand for a second to meet the smile on his face and for her surprise she was smiling too. 

 

“Chase.” He says his name out of the blue and calls himself an idiot for no being able to say anything else or think on a full phrase at least. _Where did that big brain of mine went?_

 

Gert smiles shyly. “Gert, but I think you already knows that huh?” She can manages to crack a joke even though she feels more nervous than she had always been. He hides his smile facing down, shy. 

 

“What’s happening here?” Karolina asks and then they realized that they aren’t alone, finally letting go of each others hands. 

 

Gert stared at her hand and it felt just like it looked: empty. And she hated just as much as Chase did...

 


	5. the one they are impossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEW CHAPTER 
> 
> find me on tumblr skambane.tumblr.com

After their friends understood what was happening, they soon left them alone. Chase could hear his heart pounding as if he had moved from his chest to his ears, he even tried to hide the grin that seemed to appear on his face but it was impossible. he was as happy as he had ever been since forever, ‘cause after all those years dreaming about her he had finally met her. she was real, as real as he ever imagined, as beautiful as he ever imagined it would be.

What Gert felt was different, her heart was also throbbed loudly and her hands were sweating like never before, but she didn’t felt so in the clouds. They were sitting across from each other on the table, and by now everyone in the restaurant had already realized what was going on there, so there were several curious glances at them, as if the situation were no longer too stressful. she felt sick, as if at any moment she might vomit. Don’t get her wrong, it wasn’t Chase himself who was making her feel this way but the whole situation. And she wondered where the brave girl that was just cracking jokes had gone.

  
And as much as Chase was loving the fact that he finally met her, he could also feel how strange it was since neither of them knew what to do next. Should they talk about the string? Should they kiss? Hold each other's hands? What would the protocol be in these situations? What romantic book or movie should he follow? And then his mind began to think of all the things he had already questioned, and he feared that they really had nothing in common and that they wouldn’t even be able talk, let alone love each other.

"So ..." he said. "Are you hungry?"

"Well, we’re in a restaurant right now..." she says in a sarcastic tone. she didn’t wanted to sound so harsh but she didn’t knew how not to, she had never been a girl of delicate words and that moment of nervousness it wouldn’t be the first time for that to happen. to be honest, Gert was afraid of this situation, afraid of not feeling for him what he must want her to feel. But even more afraid of feeling all the things she never wanted to feel.

"There’s a place near the beach that sells the best hot dog in the world if you want to go there. It's good here, but I guarantee it's better there." he says with a smile on his face, Gert just puts her broken leg off the table. "Oh, I had forgotten."

"We would go to the beach, you would buy me a hot dog, we would sit by the seashore and talk about our lives? And what more?" She asks, perhaps too on the defensive. "Which movie you got this idea from?"

"I'm not sure, but I think out of some of the Nicolas Sparks." he says, getting into her mood, which works to get Gert to laugh, which leaves both of them in surprise.

"Look Chase, you look like a nice guy so I'll be honest with you. I don’t believe in the string." she confides and the confusion is clear on his face.

"What you mean? You can’t see it? I know you can, I saw how you looked at our hands. "he asks.

"That's not it, I can see it. I just don’t believe in their magical abilities or anything of the sort. I don’t believe I have to belong to someone or just one person. I don’t believe I'm half of anything or that there is only one person in the world who can make me happy. "she explains, and the sadness on Chase's face is so present and hard to ignore that she feels herself getting sad.

"Oh ..." is all he can say.

"Don’t get me wrong, I'm sure you're very cool but the truth is that I believe I'm whole with myself and that if I belong to someone, that someone it's me. And if I don’t make myself happy, no one will be able to. not even a person connected to me.” she tries to explain the situation better because seeing him that way was making her sad and she was hating feeling self-defeating.

"Don’t you think this is all very radical?" He asks, feeling a little irritated by the situation.

"No, I think that's what I am and what I believe, that's it. These things from a world of wonders coming with the string is an old social construction." she says, already getting irritated too.

"And your thinking is a modern social construction, of wanting to counter what you obviously feel in order of showing yourself different." he says, soon showing a beginning of a fight.

Gert gets up as fast as her broken leg let her. "Who do you think you're, talking to me like that? It only proves how right I am. "

Gert didn’t stay to hear what he could say, she went out the doors with her cell phone in hands, already calling a uber.

The girl came home slamming the door of the apartment, giving a scare to her sister and her best friend on the couch.

"How was it?" Karolina asks, as excited and anxious as Molly.

"Who does he think he is? For the love of God..." she says, pacing back and forth, limping with her broken leg. "...blah blah blah a modern social contradiction." she imitates him. "Argh, what an ass."

"Gert, calm down what happened?" Asks Molly.

"The asshole I'm tied to, that's what it happened." she takes a deep breath. "I tried to talk to him but... He's impossible." she explains before locking himself in her room.

Gert lay on her bed trying to soothe her raging chest, that it was also hitting several others feelings that she was too scared to name. She snorted, pushing her face into the pillow as she screamed. Gert wanted to hate him but she knew, or rather, she felt that the anger was the smallest reason for her heartbeat. She wanted to hate him but all she could do was remember his damn dimples and his soft eyes.

___________________

Chase entered his best friend's apartment like a hurricane of anger and disappointment as she opened the door for him.

"Oh my God, what happened?" She asks, watching him bury his face and everything on her couch, not even caring about Alex who was sitting on the floor in the middle of several cushions.

"It's impossible," he shouted, the sound muffled by his face lying on the couch.

Nico raises his head, pulling at his hair. "What?"

Chase complains of the pull as he sits down, running his hand through the hair on the back of his neck. "She's impossible, I've never seen such a stubborn, so inconsequential person, so... Argh," he huffs with rage.

"I've already seen that the conversation wasn’t good.” says Alex.

"Conversation? There was no conversation, it was impossible to talk to her." he explains.

"Okay, I'll make you a soothing tea and we'll talk more in detail about what happened." she says heading for the kitchen.

Alex slipped back into the book he was reading and Chase took a deep breath trying to calm himself, leaning his head back on the couch.  
Well, he should had know that something like that would happen to him. Chase soon thought of how unlucky he has always been and how it wouldn’t be any different about it. Of course the love of his life wouldn’t want to be with him. And why would she want to? What has him ever done to be someone deserving of love?

And Chase wanted to hate her so much, really wanted to but she spoke so sure of herself and her green eyes were as strong as a forest, that he could only feel more enchanted by all this bravery she clearly has.

And dammit, he was already head over hells for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed, don’t forget to leave comments and kudos (if you want to). By loves ❤️
> 
> find me on tumblr skambane.tumblr.com


	6. the one with a rooftop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEW CHAPTER
> 
> find me on tumblr skambane.tumblr.com

A month has passed since Chase and Gert had that not very positive interaction, and after that they sometimes saw eachother around college or to have coffee with Karolina, Nico, and Alex, and in all of this moments they just barked and had little fights. Gert had finally gone back to her classes, she still had some purples scattered around her body and her ribs still ached sometimes but at least her leg was no longer broken. What seemed to be broken now was her mind since the only thing she could think about was Chase.

She had even tried to pay attention to her classes, but the only thing she'd done all morning was researching Chase's life on her computer since he wasn’t something anonymous. Now she was sitting on the floor of Nico's apartment pretending to fill balloons - while still stalking Chase - for Karolina's birthday party later.

 

"What are you doing on this computer, eh?" Karolina asks after finishing her last golden balloon. "Nico's finished the whites, I've finished all the golds and Molly is almost finished with the transparent ones. And you barely filled three black balloons. "

 

"Filling balloons hurts my ribs." she says without even taking her eyes off the computer, not noticing Nico sitting next to her.

 

 

"Liar," she says, taking an unfilled balloon from Gert's hand. "She's stalking Chase."

 

Gert shuts the computer more quickly as she feels her cheeks catch on fire. "No, I'm not."

 

All the girls in the room laugh.

 

"Karo was showing me his Instagram the other day, he's a snack, Gert." says Molly. "I would be very happy if he was my soulmate."

 

Gert rolls her eyes. "Ew, never say that again."

 

"Is it true that Chase's father is Victor Stein?" Molly asks Nico.

 

"Yes, but Chase is not very close to his father." Confident.

 

"But he's as smart as his father? I heard Chase is like a genius or something." says Karolina and Nico just agrees. "See Gert, your boyfriend is a genius."

 

"First, he's not my boyfriend. And secondly, wasn’t this Victor accused of beating his wife, but the police didn’t even follow the investigation? Because well, he's a white, straight and rich man?" Gert asks.

 

"It was, but I also don’t know much about this story, whether if it's true or not." says Nico.

 

"First, he's your soulmate so it's pretty much the same thing," says Karolina. "And secondly, who cares? He invented the car of the future and smart TVs. "

 

Gert rolls her eyes. "Is not the same thing. And why are we talking about Chase's life anyway? "

 

"Because you're obsessed with him and don’t want to admit it." Karolina says.

 

Gert picks up her computer and stands up. "Look, after that you'll have to fill your balloons by yourself. I'm going to pick up the food and come back after I get dressed, come on, Molly." She says goodbye to the laughing couple as she and her sister leave.

  
___________________

 

Chase arrived at Nico's apartment waiting for a small meeting, but being a university party obviously a lot more people was there than had been invited. The apartment was packed. He went straight into the kitchen to leave the drinks and ice they had asked for.

 

"Man, where did all these people come from?" He asks to Alex.

 

"Either Karo is very popular, or there are a lot of intruders here," says Alex drinking from his glass. "I believe in both."

 

"Speaking of her, you saw the birthday girl ..." his thoughts were run over by her coming into view. Not that he didn’t think Gert was beautiful in her vintage style of high-waisted denim skirts and band shirts, but her in a dress was dazzling, even more so because from a distance he could see that her eyes were not hidden behind glasses.

 

Alex laughed. "Go talk to her."

 

Chase looked at him doubtfully but decided to follow the advice, serving two drinks. The closer he got more beautiful she was, and more he could tell she wasn’t comfortable in the room.

 

Karolina and Nico smiled and exchanged caresses close by, while Gert held the hand of her sister who looked super excited.

 

"Hi." He catches her off guard, talking into her ear.

 

"My God, you want to kill me?" She says turning around. He wasn’t as tidy as usual, but he was still as beautiful as ever. That was something Gert couldn’t deny, Chase was handsome regardless of anything.

 

"Here." He extends the drink to her, which she grabs. "You look beautiful."

 

Gert can’t contain the smile and the warmth she felt on her cheeks."Thank you," she says, looking away for a few seconds. "You can clean yourself well."

 

Molly, who watches the scene, laughs at their interaction. "No drink for me?" She interrupts, and Chase's eyes widen, thinking he's done something wrong and the youngest of them laughs again. "Calm down, I'm kidding. If she saw me with a drink in my hands she would put an end to the party." she says, pointing at Gert. "I'm her sister, Molly. We hadn’t been oficially introduce yet."

 

"Hi Molly, it's my pleasure. Chase." he says more relieved. "And you're as beautiful as your sister, it must be genetic."

 

"We're adopted, both from different biological parents." Gert replies, unaffected by Chase's flirtatious charms, which soon withers.

 

"Don’t care about my sister, she's bitter like that just from the outside. And thank you so much.” Molly jokes. "I want to dance, shall we, Gert?"

 

"What? You know I don’t feel good in the middle of so many people.” She speaks lower on a falling intention to not let Chase hear. "And don’t even think I'm gonna let this bunch of idiots try to rub my sister."

 

"But I want it so much, let me have this so when I go home I can tell my friends that I had fun at a university party," implores Molly.

 

Seeing that Gert wouldn’t let, Chase interrupted. "I was going to dance too, I can take card of her, as if she is my own sister."

 

"See, your boyfriend takes care of me." They both turn red with Molly's choice of words. Gert looks at Chase wanting to feel mistrust, but all she feels is that she could trust him with her eyes closed and everything would be all right. "I promise" he says, but she didn’t even needed those words to know he was going to.

  
Gert looks at Molly and nods, and soon the two of them are heading to the dance floor. She sat by the window in search of some fresh air.

 

As they danced, Molly could see that Chase didn’t take his eyes off his sister. "I meant it when I said she's not as bitter as she looks." says the younger, and Chase turns his attention to her. "Actually, she's very dedicated to who she loves. She hates feeling stifled, but when we were kids and I was scared, she would always let me sleep in her little bed with her and still sang me a lullaby. Sometimes I call her in the middle of the night asking her to sing to me and she still does until today. "

 

Chase can’t help smiling, remembering about all the times the string felt like a soothing lullaby in his younger years. He says. "I want to believe but it’s kind of hard to connect this Gert you talk, to the one who looks at me like she wants to kill me."

 

"She doesn’t want to kill you. She wants to kill how you make her feel, it's different.” Molly explains. "Gert doesn’t know how to be soft, she's just soft for me, for Karo and sometimes for our parents. Not being in control scares her and the things the string makes people feel can’t be controlled, and she knows it even if she doesn’t admit it. So you should show her that there’s nothing to fear. "

 

"What do you mean?" Asks Chase.

 

"Wow, for a genius you're slow huh? I'm telling you to do something. For example, she hates party like this because she has anxiety so get her out of here, take her to a quieter place or something like that. "Explain.

 

"Are you sure she's not gonna kill me." Molly shrugs and he laughs with himself then taking a deep breath. "Well, I think it's worth the risk."

 

With the encouragement of his future sister-in-law (???), Chase walked to Gert, stopped in front of her and extended his hand. The girl who was just watching the street looked at him with a face of confusion.

 

"Is there a problem with your hand?"

 

"Come with me." He says hoping his confidence would convince her, obviously it didn’t work since she laughed and said, before looking back at the street. "In your dreams puffyarms." He laughs at the nickname, takes her by the hand and starts to guide her out of the apartment.

 

"Hey, this is kidnapping you know? you are taking me somewhere without my permission.” He pretends not to listen.“He's kidnapping me!” She screams and he puts her against the wall putting his hand in her mouth lightly. The movement is abrupt and delicate at the same time, which made her skin shivers. _Dammit, that was hot._ she thinks as her eyes stared up and down his face _._

 

"Shiuuu, if you don’t stop making a scandal or make my life difficult, I'll have to carry you by force." He says, his lips have a playful smile and his eyes were challenging, almost as if they were asking her to continue to act stubbornly. "Why do you have to be so stubborn huh?"

 

She couldn’t hide how she liked the challenge, as an evil grin crept to her lips as his hand moved away from it, she says. "As if you could."

 

And that was how in the middle of the hallway Chase caught her, placing her over his shoulder without the least difficulty. Gert wanted to look angry, but she couldn’t help but laugh as she asked him to put her down. "Put me down caveman."

 

Chase carried her up two flights of stairs until they were on the rooftop of the building, where he finally putted her down. There wasn’t a drop of sweat on his face, but he's gasping breath denounced that he had tired himself a little. Or maybe his breathing was out of tune because of the closeness to Gert now that he'd put her down, since her breathing was in the same situation and the girl had made no effort.

 

They were face to face, gasping for breath and eyes dangling between the mouth and eyes of the other. "See, it wasn’t so hard, it would have been easier if you had come willingly." he says very low because of how close they were.

 

"Why would I do that, if my stubbornness saved me from walking?" She asks in a playful tone of voice that he didn’t expect, before finally pulling away from him to look at the sight. "Wow, you can see the whole city from here. The rooftop door of our building doesn’t even open from how old it is."

 

He smiles as he watches her, looking into view. Her eyes met his for a second before they turned away, ashamed to be watched. "You're staring at me."

 

Chase chuckles, embarrassed. "Sorry."

 

Both close to the parapet, watching the beautiful view. She was looking at the city and he watched her looking at the city. "Why did you bring me here?" She asks without looking at him.

 

"You said you didn’t liked places with lots of people and being honest I don’t like them myself either, these parties have always been a complete boredom." Admits. "Even in high school I didn’t enjoy them."

 

"Oh you're going to tell me that you didn’t got wasted and hooked up with all of the cheerleaders..." she jokes, but a very large part of her wanted him to deny.

 

"Actually, I've never been with many people. As a faithful romantic and a string believer, I've never seen the reason to go out with other people.” He confesses and she wanted to pretend she didn’t liked what she heard, but the smile she tried to hide handed her over.

 

“But you’ve never dated anyone?” She asks ‘cause she could't believe in such a thing.

 

“No. I mean had some meaningless sex before but never got myself in a relationship.” He admits. “Never wanted, guess I didn’t had found my type.”

 

She laughs a little. “And you have one?”

 

“Well, first she has to has have almost died before, and has to have purple hair in between some other things...” He says watching the view, before looking at her again.

 

Gert eyes met Chase's again. She hated how she liked being in his gaze, because he stared at her intensely even though his eyes were deeply calm and caring. Gert denied her thoughts by shaking her head as she bit her lip to hide a smile 'cause she really wanted to kiss him right now. Chase also smiled, and took advantage of how relaxed she was to approach getting as close as he could without scaring her away.

 

And at every step he spoke. "I know you don’t believe in the string so fuck it, and without thinking about it, tells me if you still don’t feel that energy between us..." Gert breathes deeply into the closeness, avoiding looking at him. "Whether it's the string or not, you can’t deny that there's something here. You can’t deny that you also shiver when we exchange glances, or that you haven’t been thinking about us, or that you don’t feel like kissing me right now. "

 

His last sentence makes Gert look up and stares at him, Chase was so close. "Because I shiver and love to feel that. All I can do is try to find your eyes to look at mine and i love the little fights because it get's me to somehow be with you. And oh my God, how I want to kiss you right now.” He confesses, leaving her speechless. Chase puts a lock of her hair behind her ear. "You may not believe in the string, but it is impossible not to believe in the things you’re feeling."

 

"Chase..." She says letting his name die on her lips, like a false request for him to pull away as she stared at the floor because she wouldn't be strong enough to do it herself. "I think I'd better go back to the party."

 

She manage to get past him, but instantly he turns to pull her by the hand. The movement is clumsy which causes them to bump at each other, and their lips end so close that Chase didn’t give her time to step away. And before she could do anything his lips were on hers, and they were kissing.

 

Gert could have stopped the kiss, but she didn’t wanted. She just melted in his arms instead wishing she could say that the kiss hadn’t had any effect on her but she had to admit that nothing has ever felt anything like that. Before she surrendered to the kiss, it was only a finding of lips but soon she stopped fighting and the kiss became faint, as if both had spent years in the desert dying of thirst and finally had found water on each other's lips.

 

When she finally stopped to think about what was happening, Gert left the kiss suddenly, leaving Chase's lips in the air. She opened and closed her mouth several times, thinking of what to say but nothing came out.

 

"Gert, I..." he started to speak but she raised her hand, making him stop.

 

"Just... don’t say anything." That's all she says before she leaves him alone on the rooftop.

 

Gert came back to party with her mind a mess, grabbed her bag and warned Karolina that she was leaving and asked her to keep an eye on Molly. Her best friend noticed how upset she was and tried to ask what had happened but Gert just told her that she had to leave.

 

She got home and got herself under the shower to try to calm down before going to bed. Already lying down she couldn’t get herself to sleep because the kiss was all she saw when she closed her eyes. In a move straight out of romantic movie or book, her fingers touched her lips and she smiled as she remembered the path that his had made. Damn, she really couldn’t deny anything he had said to her.

For the first time she began to think that the function of the string was true, but she soon stunned the thought of her head. And in part Chase was right, she believed in the red string, but she didn’t want to because of the fear of deceiving herself. After all, how could she surrender based on something that may not be real? What if in the next week, the next day, the next minute, he changed his mind? Who could guarantee that he would love her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed, don’t forget to leave comments and kudos (if you want to). Bye loves ❤️
> 
> find me on tumblr skambane.tumblr.com


	7. the one the game starts

Gert awoke to a noise in the kitchen and soon went to see it, found her sister trying to make breakfast in the morning. "What are you doing?"

 

"Breakfast, you didn't wake up and karo it’s not home so I decided to try it on my own. Not that you're useful in the kitchen anyway.” Molly says trying to break an egg, but doing it all wrong. "Damn, it's the third one that the shell goes to the bowl."

 

“Oh my God, I'm going to take a shower and we can go out for some coffee, okay?" Gert says and her sister smiles happily, giving up everything she was doing. "How did you get here?" She asks as she walks into her bathroom.

 

"Alex left me here safely, don’t need worry" Molly replies, sitting in the bathroom to keep her sister company while she was already bathing. "How was it with Chase yesterday?"

 

"I don't know what you're talking about" says Gert already taking her shower.

 

Molly rolls her eyes. "You really don't expect me to believe that nothing has happened right? You disappeared from the party with him, then you came back, got your things, and left faster than the cold in California."

 

"Nothing happened, Molly. Stop it, I already said that I don't believe in this soulmate thing” says Gert, but the girl is a terrible liar.

 

"Look, even if I didn't knew you I wouldn't believe a word you just said. You lie very badly.” Her sister says.

 

Gert puts her head out of the bathroom curtain, with shampoo in her hair. "Could you let me have my moment of intimacy?"

 

"Only if you tell me what happened." Molly shuts.

 

"If you leave now I can convince Dale to come not come catch you tomorrow, so you can stay another week.” She tries. 

 

Molly looks at her, interested in the proposal. "Tempting, but I have a test on Tuesday so I have to leave anyway. I mean, you're just going to have your shower in peace if you tell me. "

 

"Argh, you're a plague." says Gert returning to her shower. "We kissed," she confides and Molly claps her hands in delight. "But it will not happen again."

 

"Why not?" She asks.

 

"Because it wasn't good." She lies and Molly laughs.

 

"Hmmm, and I have superpowers," Molly mocks out of the bathroom, leaving Gert with her thoughts still in the kiss.

 

After having coffee with Molly, Gert sent her sister back home and went to the college library. It was Saturday but she decided to update the course materials she missed, and studying would also be a good distraction. Well, so she thought it would be because in reality Gert sat on one of the desks pulling her computer out of her backpack and before she even noticed, she was seeing things about Chase on the internet.

 

It wasn't difficult to find things about him, Chase has always been in the eyes of the media having a famous father. She found some stories about the dubious character of his father, others who called him genius and some old ones who said Chase himself was a young genius. Gert couldn't not smile to see little Chase standing next to his mother in a photo, holding a trophy he had won at a science fair.

 

She even found some current news saying that the world should keep an eye on Chase Stein's brilliant mind and the things he could do if he followed his father's paths.

 

“Oh Gert stop this." Gert tells herself closing the computer and heading to the bookcases to find the ones she needs to study, but not before putting on her headphones so that music distracts her. - capital letters by Hailee Steinfeld

 

________________

 

She didn't notice him when she entered the library, but he saw her. The rope on his finger didn't pull or vibrate any more whenever they were close to each other, but still Chase's eyes left the book he was reading just as she walked through the doors, as if he knew.

 

Chase wondered whether or not to go and talk to her, until Gert got up and headed for the bookcases. He thought it would be the best time to talk to her since no one would be around, so no one would see his idiot face when she dismissed him for the third time, so he went after her. She seemed to find herself perfectly in the middle of the books, which irritated Chase because he always got lost in the library. 

 

As Gert searched for her books, Chase leaned on one of the bookshelves and watched her. He grinned from ear to ear to see that in the middle of a search or another she would snap her fingers or make a little dance to the sound of the music she was hearing.

 

She found two books easily, but the third one was on the top shelf which meant that she would have to ask the librarian for help, but Gert, as stubborn as only herself could be, would never let herself lose so easily. So instead of asking for help, she jumped up and stretched as hard as she could to try to get the book, but because of her still painful ribs - especially since she was carried that way last night - it was hard to reach it.

 

Chase, who was still watching, found the scene as both funny and adorable. "Needing a few inches more?" He asks, reaching behind her and pulling out one of her headphones.

 

She jumps into fright and then grimaces of pain as she feels pain in her ribs. He soon understands what has happened since Gert's hand instantly cover the bruised part, and before Chase notices, his hand was already on hers. "Sorry, I forgot it can still hurt."

 

"Instead of apologizing maybe you should stop scaring me like that." she says, moving away from him.

 

"And we're back with the rudeness." Chase says, taking a deep breath.

 

"You kiss me and expect me to fall at your feet?" Sarcastic question, again trying to get the book.

 

"Oh yeah, you talk like if I was the only one kissing. As if you hadn't kissed me back.” He approaches and says in her ear. "As if you didn't wanted that kiss as much."

 

"For someone with an IQ so big, you can be easily  deceived." she says without looking and he laughs.

 

"How do you know my IQ? I think someone has crush on me.” He zapped, pulling back and leaning against the other shelf. Watching her trying to get the book still. "You could ask for help, you know I can get the book easily."

 

Gert looks at him and wants to take away the rough and victorious smile that was stamped on his face, at the same time she wanted to kiss him right there. "Shut up."

 

She tries three more times, listening to him giggling until she loses. "What's your problem, huh? Do you wanna play little game?" She approaches, staying at a very dangerous distance from him, but keeps herself far enough to guarantee her sanity and self-control. "... But know that two can play this game."

 

What she didn't count on was his courage. Chase takes a step towards her, two steps towards her and when he goes to give the third she backs up, but he continues until Gert's back ends up leaning against the shelf and he has his face at centimeters of hers. He stretches his arm behind her, coming closer and with his mouth almost in hers he decides to speak. "I'm counting on that. But before playing Gert, I want you to know that I'm here for the long game and I'm not giving up easy."

 

Chase handed the book she couldn't get into Gert's hands, so he turned his back and left. Only after he was no longer in her field of vision Gert let out the air, and she didn't even knew she was holding it. She then took a deep breath and composed herself. "If he wants to play, we'll play."


	8. the one with walls

Chase wanted to be able to complete any task of his day without thinking about that damn kiss, but how could he if he had never experienced anything better? He could have walked away, given her space but the truth was he didn't wanted to. And as much as he really found it impossible to deal with her, he still loved having to deal with her. He loved the barbs and the idiot nicknames she invented just for him. Then he provoked her, until she was angry with him, because Chase knew that deep down she liked it too. He could see that she liked it too.

 

"Are you guys going on the game Saturday?" Alex asks. "Chase and I were thinking of going and then doing a post game in his apartment."

 

"I'll pass." says Gert, sipping her iced tea as she watches the street. they were in a totally generic cafeteria, sitting at the tables outside. It was a beautiful sunny day in los angles, as always.

 

"Afraid to go to my apartment, Gert? I don't bite no need to worry.” Chase implies.

 

"No, I just don't want to get into your men's cave made of men's magazines and protein shakes.” She implies back, a smile on her lips that bordered on seduction and matched his.

 

Chase was already opening his mouth to reply when he was interrupted by Nico. "My God, either you find a room or you stop fucking with your eyes." She implies, making others laugh.

 

"Not even in his dreams." Gert replies.

 

"Focusing on the game, I think it's going to be great." replies Karolina returning to the initial subject. "We're going, aren't we Gert?"

 

"You have your girlfriend, why do I have to go along?” She asks annoyed.

 

"Because you're my best friend, you love me and I've washed your clothes this week so you owe me one." Says Karolina and Gert roll their eyes.

 

She puts a forced smile on her lips. "I think I’m going then, but it's better have good food." She responds by standing up. "I'm going to my class, bye to you."

 

Gert was walking towards the building where she would have her next class but soon a tall figure walked beside her, she didn't even have to look to know who it was. The posture and the perfume always delivered him, and also the fact that his being doing this quite a lot in the past days.

 

"Turned into my bodyguard now?" She asks, not looking at him.

 

"I have class on this way too now." he says.

 

She nods but realizes she still doesn't know what he's up to. "What do you do exactly? Administration so one day you can run Papa's business?” she asks, but she notices the playful smile on his lips disappear.

 

"Physical engineering," he says.

 

Gert is impressed and doesn't try to hide. "Wow, so you really are like a genius huh?"

 

He is surprised by the way the compliment comes from her, and also can't hide the smile. “It's just the effort."

 

"I putted a lot of effort in physics as well, but the most I could manage with luck was C+.” She confident and they laugh.

 

"Well, I also know nothing of philosophy or psychology, so..." he says, smiling affectionately at her before changing the subject. "So you're really going to the game?”

 

"Only if the food is good." she says, stopping in front of her building, and to her surprise he stopped with her. "My class is here."

 

"What do you like? Of food?” He asks so naturally that Gert can't help but smile.

 

"Aren't you super smart? Figure it out, little genius.” she says as she begins to climb the stairs to enter the building of her class. He smiles at the answer because it was so Gert. And he likes it when she's herself.

 

"Okay then." He says back, beginning to walk backwards along the path that they just had come and she looks at him confused.

 

"I thought your class was going this way." she says from the top of the stairs.

 

He smiles seductively and softly at the same time, showing his dimple. "My next class was four buildings behind."

 

"You walked all this for nothing? I'm doubting your ability, genius.” she says.

 

He laughs. "Not for nothing, for you."

 

It's the last thing he says before turning around and going his way. Gert grinned up the ladder as she tried to deny the warmth she felt inside.

 

___________________

 

 

The university game had been great since their team won. And now everyone was already in Chase's apartment, a little more lively than normal after many beers. Karolina and Alex faced each other in justdance as Nico laughed on the sofa at the sight of them with no rhythm. Chase was in the kitchen getting more food, Gert - who was sitting in an armchair in the living room - wanted to be able to say that she was paying attention on her friends but she had already had too much drink and all she could do was think of Chase and how he was even more beautiful with a team jersey. Then with the courage of the alcohol she got up and went to the kitchen.

 

He was putting some chips in a bowl and was surprised with her sitting on his counter, stealing one of the chips. "Are you going to dance too, bottle genius?"

 

"Oh no, if there's one thing I don't know how to do is dance then I'll step in." he says. “What about you?"

 

"I just danced with Nico." she says taking the last sip of her beer. "I won but it was a fair match, you missed the show."

 

He laughs. "I wish I had seen it, I hate this walls that divides the kitchen and the living room, I'm still going to knock it down with my own hands."

 

"I'm sure you can do it." she says, staring at his hands that had finished fiddling with the food, then her cheeks turned pink as she notices what she said. "Pretend I didn't just said that."

 

They both laugh and he decides to take advantage of how open she is and gets closer, getting between her legs. "How many of these did you drink?" He asks, taking the empty bottle from her hand.

 

"Only two, but I had four cups in the game." Confesses laughing and he denies. "Don't worry, I'm completely fine about my faculties."

 

"Oh, so the room is not spinning?” he asks and she denies it as she pulls him closer by the hem of his t-shirt, to Chase's surprise.

 

"Not yet." she responds more quickly. she still had a smile on her face, but the tone of her voice was serious as her face moved closer to his.

 

Chase glanced toward the kitchen door only once and at that moment she defined in her mind that it would be now, she would kiss him when he looked at her again and she wouldn't think of anything that could go wrong. At that moment and only she would give herself up. But even before Chase could look at her again he walks away completely with Karolina's arrival in the kitchen. "I'm going to take the chips back to the living room, there’s more beer there in the fridge." he says awkwardly, hurrying out of the kitchen.

 

"Hmmm," Karolina says as she opens the fridge for a beer. "Did I interrupted something?"

 

"What? Are you crazy, Karolina? Of course not.” says Gert coming down from the kitchen counter.

 

"If I didn't, why did Chase left all embarrassed?" Karo asks with difficulty opening her beer.

 

Gert grabs the beer from her hand and opens it for her friend, returning it. "And I'm a consultant on Chase now, how am I supposed to know?" She opens the fridge and gets a beer for herself. "Let's go I want to see Nico against Alex."

 

"Oh dear Gert, it's lovely how you think you can lie to me." she says, wrapping a arm around her neck, leaving a kiss on Gert’s head.

 

For the rest of the night Gert realized that Chase avoided her gaze at all costs, just as he avoided being near or even talking to her. Something that was annoying her since Chase didn't acted like that even when she was mean to him, and it didn't make sense for him to pull away as she tried to approach. He was the one that started this game. 

By the time the clock was about two o'clock in the morning, the group began to move to go to their own homes, but Gert wasn't satisfied with the situation. She was furious at the way he had treated her all night, as if she were completely invisible.

 

"Gert, do you want a ride? I'm going to Nico but we can leave you at home.” Karolina asks, already at the door. Nico and Alex had already said goodbye to Chase and they were in the hallway asking for the elevator.

 

Gert peered into the living room and saw Chase rearranging the mess. "I'll stay a little longer, help him clean it up." Turns her gaze to Karolina who smiles mischievously.

 

"Help clean it up, okay?" Karolina says, she approaches her friend and gives her a brief hug."Take care of yourself, will you let me know when you're home? And good cleaning.” she blinks at Gert before leaving.

 

Gert closed the door to the apartment and returned to the living room, catching Chase completely by surprise. "Didn't got a ride with Karo?" He asks without looking at her as he puts the bottles of beer into a trash bag.

 

"What's your problem?" She asks bluntly, he looks at her confused as he still collects the garbage.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"You ignored me all night, it seemed like I was not even here. What was that about?” she questions, clearly as upset as angry.

 

He takes a deep breath and puts the garbage aside. "I don't know what you're talking about Gert, and anyway, isn't this how it works with us? Something happens then we ignore it until you're ready to have small quarrels with me again?” He asks without patience. "If you want me to be different you have to send me an instruction manual or I don't know."

 

Chase picks up the trash bag and takes it to the kitchen, but of course Gert follows. "You ignore me and you want to be mad at me?"

 

"What you expect me to do, Gert, you're the one who said nothing's really going to happen between us." he says leaving the garbage bag on the floor and turning to her. “And to be fair, yes I enjoy this game of little fights and smiles but you now I want more so I’m done playing it cause I will only get myself hurt."

 

"Sorry if I can't trust this..." She says shaking her little finger, wiggling the length of her finger to Chase's. "An invisible string is the guarantee that you will really want to be with me tomorrow or later." She takes a deep breath after letting the words escape and takes her glasses off as she passes her hand in her face/eyes trying to concentrate.

 

Chase realizes that she had no intention of opening up like this, but thanks for doing so because now he understands her reluctance to stay with him. Gert was afraid he'd change his mind.

 

"Oh, Chase, are you going to tell me that you would really look at me or that we would be together if you didn't believe in this damn string? Look at you, you are like a gallant protagonist of any movie, like you just left a commercial of the calvin klein. I'm not saying I'm not pretty, but I'm sure I'm not what people expect to see at your side.” She exhales angrily. "Today you are all delighted because you believe in the string. What guarantees me that tomorrow or later you will not wake up and realize these things?”

 

"I think you're going to have to trust me then instead of the string or anything else." he says, calmer now.

 

And she looks at him, taking a deep breath before asking a question that never crossed her mind. "How did you found me?"

 

It was his turn to take a breath. "It was the three more agonizing minutes of my life while the string was grey." She looks at him in surprise to know that he has, in a way, seen her die. "I ran to Alex and he told me that getting grey and then going back to the red meant that you could still be alive. Of course I was happy to know that I hadn't lost you without even knowing who you were, but I was still so angry knowing that I couldn't do anything to help, to take care of you. Then I went home and I heard of the accident on TV." He narrows the distance between them. "I found a lot of coincidence and your name didn't left my head."

 

Gert remembered how it felt to receive his flowers at the hospital and how that simple "C" made her stomach fill with butterflies, even if she didn't wanted to admit it. Chase continued. "I swear I wish I had got the flowers in person, but I was so afraid of being wrong, of creating expectations and not being you."

 

"And why purple asters?" She asked in a softer voice.

 

"At the time I didn't knew why, but I think deep down I knew they were just like you" He says and Gert only gets more confused, so he decides to explain. “The petals are so delicate  but the vivid and strong combination of colors that the asters have are so present and you, all little, looks like the petals. But it's just you open your mouth that your voice screams power and how strong you are. I still don't know the real reasons that made you so strong, but I can see that it in the way you fight so vividly for those who can't defend themselves, with all your campaigns and everything…" He chuckles. "but I really hope one day you'll let me know the real reasons that made you built your walls.”

 

"Do you know about my campaigns?" Gert asks, without believing.

 

"Of course I know." Chase says. "I even picked up and spread over on the science building some of the posters you made about donations to give water to children who don't have access."

 

And in that moment Gert had never felt more important. She has always been interested in political, social, and environmental issues, and has become accustomed with no one taking her seriously when she talked about such things. She got used to not being heard, but she never stopped trying to get people to hear it not only because the issues were important to be discussed but also because she wanted to be seen and felt important by the things that matter to her and that makes Gert who she really is. So with Chase's words for the first time she had achieved that and it was wonderful the feeling of having someone really paying attention to you.

 

"You're staring," he says, paraphrasing her. And they both laugh.

 

"How come I've never known about that?" She asks.

 

He smiles, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes. "Maybe you didn't wanted to know."

 

“Until now." She says in response and the feeling of seeing him really smiling was another wonderful thing. They stayed in this trance of intense stares for a while, until she resolved to hold herself a little. "Well, I should go."

 

"No chance you're going alone." He reaches for the keys to his car, which are hanging on the wall. "I'll take you."

 

She didn't tried to argue against it since she wanted to stay close to him for a while longer. It didn’t took too long, just over fifteen minutes. During the journey they both remained silent but it wasn't bad, it was a natural silence and that was exactly how they felt. Chase felt so comfortable having her by his side that he caught himself in a few moments almost reaching out a free hand to hold hers and she noticed, wanting him to do it. And Chase would have done it, if he weren't afraid that tomorrow would all be as before and tonight would be just a moment for her.

 

"And we're here." He says,  turning off the car in front of her building.

 

"We're here," she says, staring at the building before looking at him, who was trying not to look at her. "You know Chase, maybe one day I can tell you how I built my walls..."

 

Chase looked at her in astonishment as she took off her belt, then came over and left a chaste kiss on his lips. And before she walked away completely, she said "...but you have to tell me what made you build yours too."

 

Chase's eyes widened a little, both because he was surprised by the kiss and because she could see him so well. "I also know how to pay attention." and with those words she left the car. He lowered the window and shouted after understanding, in part, what had happened. "Was that you saying you want to go on a date with me?" 

 

She laughed the way he loved the most. "I don't know. Figure it out, genius." She screamed back  in the playful tone she only uses for him before entering the building.

 

No need saying that Chase practiced floated with joy on the way back home.

 


	9. the one with a date

Gert tried to sleep, she shifted in the bed from side to side relentlessly until she decided to give up. She got up and put on a light coat over her pajamas, picked up the key of her car, her cell phone and walked out the door. Her mind was a thousand miles per hour and she couldn't sleep before talking to someone about what she was feeling. When Nico opened the door to her apartment Gert didn't even said hello to her, she was soon heading to the room where she knew she would find her best friend.

 

"I'm in the middle of a crisis." She said to the owner of the apartment, going straight in. Upon arriving in the room, Gert threw herself on the bed making Karolina awaken completely from her sleep.

 

"Nico, who... Gert? What are you doing here ..." she asked confused, pausing to look at the time. "... at quarter past three in the morning?"

 

"He gets me." Gert said lying in the middle of the bed, staring at the ceiling and sounding a little irritated. "He gets me."

 

Karolina looks at her even more confusedly, sitting on the bed while pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "What, are you drunk? Who gets you?"

 

"Chase." She looks up so she can face her friend. "Chase gets me. He fucking gets me!" She said angry.

 

"And why are you so angry about it? Isn't that a good thing?" Asked the blonde as she saw Nico standing in the doorway.

 

Gert looked at her with confused and angry eyes before thrusting her face into the pillow. "No of course not." She snorts.

 

"Okay, I realize you're going to need some time, I'm going to make some tea." Nico said sleepily from the door "Thank you baby." Karolina answered as she watched her girlfriend disappear, so she turned her attention back to Gert. "Hey, sit here and tell me what happened."

 

Gert then sat down next to her best friend and took a deep breath. "We sort of talked about some things and he understands me, he started talking about things that made me feel so... special, I guess."

 

Karolina smiled. "And why are you so upset about it? That's something incredible, you've always complained about your past relationships and how they've never understood you.”

 

"Yes, but I don't want him to understand me, not him and all this red string of fate thing and all of that. I make my own fate, not an invisible idiot string that ties me to someone." Karolina took a deep breath, irritated.

 

"Gert, for God's sake, science can't prove that the powers of the string are real nor can prove that they aren't. You will spend your whole life avoiding being happy to hold a conviction that may not be real?" Asked Karolina. "The truth is you believe in the string and you're just using it as an excuse as you always do, because if you didn't really believe in it, you would go in a relationship with Chase as if it were any other."

 

Gert stared at her with wide eyes, Karolina took a deep breath before speaking again more calmly. "Gerty, look what happened to you.You died and he found you because of it. If it isn't a sign that you are meant to be together then at least accept your near death as a second chance to do things exactly the way you want to. Accept this as a chance to live your life in the best possible way, without depriving yourself of the things you want to do. A second chance to allow yourself to be happy. " She held Gert's hand, which she took in deeply, letting a stubborn tear fall from her eyes. "I know you're afraid, it's hard to give yourself to someone else, especially to you. I know the things that upset your golden heart and your brilliant mind." Said Karolina, pointing to Gert's heart and mind. "but I also know that you know, that you have to stop allowing these ghosts to keep you from being happy.”

 

"It's difficult." It was the only thing Gert could say.

 

"I know, but you deserve it and I guarantee it's worth it." Said Karolina. "Look at me, you more than anyone knows how much I've suffered before finally allowing me to be who I really am. Imagine if I was still hiding, how stupid of me would be if I missed the opportunity to be with Nico and be the most happiest version of me. “

 

"So you think I should really go out with him?" Asked Gert.

 

"I think you should allow yourself to be the happiest version of you, and if you going on a date with Chase will help with that so yes I think I should go out with him. The point is, do what will make you happy." Answered Karolina.

 

After the conversation with her best friend, Gert left the apartment feeling much lighter. And Karolina was right, she had died for fucking's sake, she had to allow herself to be happy, she should be able to leave those cheap convictions aside in order to be happy. So before she even went to her apartment, Gert sent a message to Chase saying that she agreed to go on a date with him if he wanted to. And since Chase also hadn't been able to sleep after all that happened, his response came quickly saying that he would love to go out with her. They agreed that Chase would pick her up at her apartment at seven in the evening for the so-long-awaited date. And then Gert finally managed to sleep, as did Chase.

 

_____________________________

 

There was no way Chase could lie or hide, he was clearly nervous. The thing is that he had imagined and planned this moment throughout his life and it was finally happening. The thing is, the planning for that night had already been passed on in Chase's mind thousands of times before he even met Gert, but the execution and acceptance of that plan was what was making him nervous. He had planned this evening for a date with his soul mate thinking she would be an ordinary girl, but Gert had nothing of ordinary and he feared that the night would not please her. Well, deep down he feared he wasn't enough for Gert - since he never believed on him being good enough to anything at all - and he feared she wouldn't be interested as soon as the game was over and things got serious.

But Chase swallowed all his fear and nervousness, and seven o'clock was parked in front of Gert's building, which in turn was late. Unlike Chase, she had never stopped to think about the possibility of finding the person at the other end of her rope, much less that she would eventually go on to meet such a person even more freely and spontaneously. And even though she has never been the sort of girl who takes hours to pack up, that night she found herself more wrapped up in clothes, shoes, and makeup than she'd ever been in her life. So, yep she was late. but the whole waiting was worth it, at least in Chase's eyes because she was utterly wonderful. She wore a black dress and by a miracle she wore high heels, something he had never seen her wearing.

They didn't talked much on the way from Gert's apartment to the restaurant Chase had made a reservation, both of them were too nervous to talk and for totally different reasons but that were connected in the end. Gert was nervous about not knowing what the date was going to be like, and Chase was nervous just knowing what the date was going to be like - at least the part he planned - but both were feeling that way because none of them wanted it to go wrong.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Gert thanked herself mentally for having dressed a little more elegant because even from outside it was already possible to see that the place was fancy and expensive. Chase had reservation which made it much easier to get a table considering the place was packed. They sat at a table for two and stood facing each other, a waiter not attentive and with a disgusted face soon came to answer them, explaining how the menu worked and as Chase already seemed to know the place, Gert let he chose what he thought was best.

 

"Wow, this place is... quite a thing." She said looking around. "You've been here?"

 

"Yes, I used to come here a lot with my parents when I was younger." Chase said. "Never came?"

 

She denied, laughing a little. "No, this is definitely not a place where my parents would bring me, they're like two hippie kids in the body of two adults doctors. They usually take us to more in outdoors restaurants where food is natural and stuff."

 

He smiled. "They look fun, are they doctors?"

 

"Yes." she replied as the waiter placed in front of them what they were going to eat. "But they work more in the search field."

 

"What a about your bilogical parents?" He asked.

 

Gert looked at her food and gave him a smile that said she didn't wanted to talk about it, so she just changed the subject a little. "... That looks great." said about the food.

 

The subject between them followed that line, Gert told a little more about her parents and what they do for living while Chase was showing himself interested and he really was because he had always been a little interested in this world of medical science research. Then it was Chase's turn to speak a little about his parents, and being as vague as possible, he told her that his father was very intelligent and had this gift for mechanical and technological physics, and that his mother didn't work even though she was as smart as his dad. Gert noticed how sad he sounded talking about his parents so she was glad to see him trying to overcome this discomfort to open up with her, and maybe both would have opened up more and talked about deeper stuff but Gert was extremely uncomfortable with the looks that they are receiving. Gert knew it would be like this, being with Chase would mean that she would constantly receive glances and replies from people who would find her not enough for him, but knowing about something is totally different from feeling on the skin.

 

Chase called her name several times to ask about what dessert she wanted, when she finally came back to herself she seemed a little awkward. He asked if everything was okay but she chose not to speak until they were alone. "We'll think about it a little more." That's what he told the waiter that was waiting for an answer, before turning to her when they were alone again. "What happened?" He finally asked.

 

She stared at him confused and even though Chase didn't knew what she was going to say he still could see her walls beginning to rise up to close her in herself. "You really didn't notice?"

 

Chase knew what she was talking about but to be honest he preferred not to talk about the looks, he had grown up in the midst of petty people who make judging into a hobby that with time he had learned to ignore."I'm sorry, I swear it's not you they're judging. Believe me," he asks, making her more confused.

 

"You're just saying this to be polite, but I know when I'm being judged." He denies it as she speaks because they really were not judging Gert but Chase's attitudes that they never found fit for the social environment, a lot of the people there saw him grow up and came to judge him from the very beginning.

 

He took a deep breath. "What if we eat dessert somewhere else?"

 

Gert didn't think twice before accepting and after a small quarrel between them about who would pay the bill and they ended up sharing it after her making a statement about male chauvinism imposed on small day-to-day acts that unconsciously reaffirmed the man's need to be in a position of dominance over the woman, they finally left the restaurant and all their negative energy. but rather, to Gert's surprise, Chase held her hand as they left, making her gradually more and more certain of her decision to let herself fall in this romantic adventure with him. In the car, Gert was feeling more comfortable, she took off her heels and slipped the sneakers she had brought in her purse while she let go of her purple hair that was tied in an elegant bun.

 

Chase took them to the beach where he knew he would find a small place that sold all kinds of churros because something told him it was her favorite dessert, and indeed it was, and he figured out while they were waiting in line to make their orders. They picked up their desserts and sat at one of the tables in the sand, their shoes on the chair that was left, and their feet touching the cold sand. Both seated facing the sea.

 

They kept silent for a bit, only ate until Gert decided to speak. "I don't know much about them..." Chase looked at her confusedly, her eyes meeting his quickly before they returned to the sea. "My biological parents." She said, beginning to answer the question he had asked her before. "I know that she, my biological mother, was from some country that speaks spanish but came here illegally and my biological father was never on the scene, I guess."

 

"Why did you say she was?" He asked, as he finished his churros.

 

"Because I don't know anything else about her, so all I know are things from the past." She said. "She just left me at the door of the hospital and I was in very bad health condition. Dale and Stacey still worked in hospitals and they worked in that hospital where I was left, they heard about the story and about me. They wanted so much to be parents but Stacey can't have children, so they decided to stay with me. "

 

"They sound like good people." Chase said with a comforting smile on his lips as their eyes met again.

 

She smiled back. "They really are, they can be enough to put up with it sometimes, they can be pretty weird, you know. the kind of people who make homemade brie cheese and love to hug, but even with weirdness, they're good people."

 

When Gert quoted hugs Chase looked away, anyone could realize that he clearly feels uncomfortable when the subject becomes parents and she wanted to ask him about but didn't wanted to force it. In the moment she didn't wanted to get into a subject that bothered her he respected it, so Gert would do the same. "Why, back in the restaurant, you said people were not judging me?"

 

He took a deep breath. "They probably were judging you too, but to be honest they were judging me more."

 

"Why? You was part of them and their world." She said confused.

 

" _Never really was._ " He said looking back at her. "I always pretended for my father's pleasure and my well-being, but I've always hated it because it had never been part of me to think I'm better than anyone... or anything at all." Gert's heart broke at that phrase, she could't understand how such a beautiful and intelligent person could think so little of himself. He went on. "My father and I had a bad fight some time ago, we haven't talk anymore and that's why they were looking... but they are idiots, they don't know anything."

 

"Your father has quite reputation, he seems to be a difficult person to deal with." She said trying to make him open more.

 

"You have no idea." He took a deep breath. "Let's just say he's never been the type to make soft cheeses at home or give hugs, more of the kind that encourages you to be the best in everything in a more... traditional way."

 

"What do you mean by traditional?" She asks confused. Gert received a sad, broken look from Chase who soon became ashamed of himself staring at the sand that his foot was playing nervously with it. And Gert understood. "Oh." was all she could say after taking a deep breath. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, Gert was trying to hold back a tear that wanted to escape her eyes because she felt his sadness. And when I say 'she felt' I don't mean that she was feeling empathy for Chase's story, but I mean that she could literally feel in her chest the anguish that belonged to his. And then Gert's eyes went straight to the red string and suddenly she remembered of every night that she felt that same thing and how she had to sang herself to sleep when she was younger, and it made sense.

 

"I always believed in the string because I needed a guarantee that someone would really want me someday." He said after realizing she was staring at the red string that connected them.

 

She laughed sarcastically and perhaps a little emotional. "And I never wanted to believe on it because I couldn't put in my head that someone would really want me someday." Gert looked at him.

 

"I guess were wrong." He said it seriously but the phrase eased the mood and made Gert smile awkwardly.

 

And then in a quick and delicate move, Gert left on the table the rest of the churros that she didn't finished and sat on her side in Chase's lap, which caught him by surprise as well as what came next. She looked at him intensely and stroked the hair on the back of his neck, and Chase had never been treated so delicately. slowly she was moving her face closer to his as both of their breaths grew more breathless until the lips touched. Unlike the others, it was a quiet, unhurried but very intense kiss full of meanings and feelings that they wouldn't really name at that moment. Gert moved away slowly but not too much, and with his lips still on hers she said, "I guess I was."


	10. the one fate is right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that you guys got a taste of this chapter before it was ready  
> i posted instead of just saving and didn't even noticed  
> but now it's complete and i hope you enjoy!  
> love ya'll

Gert woke up feeling the softness of the sheets, she opened her eyes slowly feeling sleepy and a little tired but extremely happy for some reason that soon came to mind. It took only a second for Gert to remember the reason for such a joy right in the morning, her mind taking her straight to the events of the night before... After the intense and full of meaning kiss, Gert had no time to leave Chase's lap as he lifted her in his arms - without the slightest difficulty - and began to walk towards the sea.

 

"Chase? Chase what do you think you're doing?" She asked, fumbling to try to break free while he just laughed. "Chase puts me down now, I mean it. The water must be a horror of coldness... " While he laughed at the situation by some force of nature she managed to let go.

 

It was then that they began a cat-and-mouse hunt that resulted in many laughs, beautiful tumbles, little kisses here and there, more laughter and they covered in sand. After finally getting tired, they sat on the floor and between chuckled ofeganted Chase said "Now you really will have to get into the water, you won't enter my car full of sand." he impels.

 

"No way, it's your fault, you're going to have to accept it." she also responded breathlessly from the race.

 

"No way." He got up and started to take off his coat and shirt, which obviously caught Gert's attention quickly. "You're going to have to get this sand off your body or you're going to walk home by yourself."

 

Gert rolled her eyes and stood up. "You wouldn't dare but that's ok, you won. I'm going to get in, but only because the sand is starting to itch my skin and not because you said it."

 

"Yup, of course." he laughed and she looked at him as if expecting something, her hands on her waist. "What?" he asked and she just motioned him to turn. "Seriously? Okay." he asks as then turns around. He took his pants off, just getting underwear.

 

Gert was nervous about just being in her underwear in front of Chase, she had never been too puritanical with her body, to tell the truth she had always had a lot of awareness and dominance of it, she knew her body like no one else. But she was nervous about showing it to Chase because for the first time in her life she found herself needing her body approved by someone other than her but not for some reason that would verticalize their relationship or because he was better than her, but because for the first time she found herself wanting someone else to love her body in the same way she so firmly loves. Despite the nervousness, she stripped off her dress and was left with only her underwear. Chase even thought of sneaking around but he held his ground because he didn't wanted to make her uncomfortable. They bet a run to the sea, and Gert lost because 1) Chase is naturally an athlete and 2) she stayed a little behind so he didn't had full vision of her nearly naked body yet.

 

"OH MY GOD! IT'S COLD." he screamed as soon as water hit his body, and Gert stood still on the border with the water just at her feet as she laughed at his despair.

 

"I don't want to be the kind of person who says, 'I told you so,' but I told you so." She laughed without realizing that she was leaving herself completely exposed to Chase's eyes, the one that was now getting used to the temperature of the water and just watched the beauty that emanated from a cheerful Gert. As soon as she notices his gaze she gets a little bewildered but soon regained her control. "Hey genius, my eyes are up here." she said pointing at them.

 

It was Chase's turn to be embarrassed for being caught and to change the subject. "Come on in. It's not that bad when you get used to it." He said but she denied it, then he walked over to her and held out his hand, and Gert couldn't say no to his puppy eyes. She took his hand and after a few shouts after the initial shock she soon became accustomed to the water. They had fun in the water for some time, still sharing a little about their lives with each other between a few kisses and silly hands that got in the way once in a while. They left the water after realizing that in a few hours the day would dawn, it wasn't cold in Los Angeles but the breeze of the night and the one coming from the ocean hit their wet bodies strongly. Clumsily, they both went back into their clothes in the best and fastest way they could, and ran to Chase's car.

 

In the car, Gert rested her feet on the panel making herself completely comfortable. The windows were open, and the wind that was cold before began to bring comfort as it dried them. She had her eyes closed as she felt the wind on her face and was eventually caught off guard when Chase gently stroked a strand of her half wet, half-dry hair, he looked at her for a moment and then returned his eyes and hands in driving. "What's the color of your hair?" He asked looking at her rapidly.

 

"Purple." She responded with a smart smile on her lips and he laughed as well before rephrasing his question. "You understood me, I mean, what is the natural color of your hair?"

 

She adjusted the way she sat so she could look at him better. She didn't understand how anyone with such intelligence, such a handsome aperience, and such a gentle personality could feel so afraid to ask a simple question, for to her of all the people she had ever known Chase should be the most confident of them all. But he wasn't. "Brown." She answered.

 

"Why did you change, don't you like brown?" He asked.

 

She took a deep breath and wondered what answer she would give: the easy one that it's also the one she has been telling everyone her whole life about how she wanted a change and how she loved the purple hair of a singer she was a fan of or the hard one which she had never uttered out loud and involves much more sentimentality than worshiping a singer who doesn't even exist. "My parents had a picture of my birth mother that she apparently left with me when she left me at the hospital door, neither they nor anyone else knows that I found it when I was about fifteen and I hated how much we were alike. I tried to forget but led me to my worst months of anxiety, was when I started taking medicine, they helped but whenever I looked in the mirror I could still see the similarity, especially with the long brown hair. " She took a deep breath without believing that she was actually talking about when not even with her her psychologist she had managed to open herself up. "Then I cut and painted with purple."

 

Chase looked at her with gentle eyes and asked the most innocent question of all when she was already preparing to receive several life advice or invasive questions. "But why purple?"

 

She laughed, relaxing again. "Because it can be calm and stimulating at the same time. You know, a mixture of blue and red."

 

"In fact, it really is." Chase answered and takes courage to do what they both wanted the night before, he took her hand in his while driving. After that neither of them said any more words. Neither he asked nor she talked about the end destiny, he simply headed to his apartment without even thinking about. They both knew that the night was not over yet, even if the first rays of sunlight began to make themselves visible on the horizon.

 

They went up to Chase's apartment. Gert left her shoes and purse by the door just as Chase had done with his own, and as he closed the door she moved away a little, walking on her back so that she could still see him. Chase turned to find the beautiful scene that Gert had staged: her dried purple hair was in a beautiful mess, her dress still had wet parts that stuck to her body even though it was almost all dry, dawn light through the curtains half-open from the living room surrounded her, and all of this made her look like an angelic and sinful paradise both at the same time.

 

Indeed, calm and stimulating.

 

Chase walked toward her until his arms were around her waist. He joined their foreheads and then slipped his nose down her face until he was on her neck where he took a deep breath. Gert's hands went instantly to the hair on the back of Chase's neck where she caressed it gently before pulling hard as he left kisses on her neck. Then they kissed in an explosion of passion, with a lot of tongue and touching and soon pieces of clothing were thrown from side to side making a trail to Chase's room where they ended the best night ever with the best sex they had ever had. 

 

Now we return to the present moment where Gert awoke in pure happiness. As she wandered in her thoughts about the events of the night before, the scent of red fruits tea mixed with coffee and a shirtless Chase entered the room. "Good morning lady, here." He handed her a cup of tea and had a cup of coffee for himself.

 

"Good morning, genius." She replied smiling in the most silly way she had ever smiled and before he drank his coffee, he stole a quick kiss from her lips, making her smile even more. _\- ew, when have I became so clingy_. "Oh my God, what time is it?" She asked as she reached for her cell phone, not finding it.

 

"I think your cell phone is in your purse near the door." He replied by drinking his coffee. "But it's ten o'clock."

 

"TEN? shit, shit, shit." She shoved the tea back into Chase's hand, got up, and began to dress quickly. "I have a very important presentation in like forty minutes."

 

"Oh shit." He puts the coffees on the bedside table and follows her into the living room. "Do you want me to take you?"

 

As she shoved her shoes and used her phone at the same time, she answered. "No need, I already asked for an uber." Gert walked over to him giving him a chaste kiss but before she could go too far he pulled her back for a quieter, deeper kiss. And before she forgot why she was in such a hurry and got herself back in bed with him, Gert backed away and took a deep breath. "Man, if you kiss me like that every time I'm late I'll never make it in time to anything for the rest of my life."

 

That was the last thing she said before she walked out the door, leaving Chase with a silly grin on his face and her voice in his mind echoing the phrase _'the rest of my life'_ all day long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bye loves  
> http://skambane.tumblr.com


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